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Happy Fall! I hope everyone has been able to get out and enjoy this incredible fall weather happening all around us. With the brisk mornings, warm afternoons, evenings around the fire pit and all activities that come with fall, it’s been a fantastic few weeks. And for me personally, it’s been a fantastic few years working alongside you all on broadband expansion.
It is bittersweet for me to let you all know that I will be transitioning into a new position outside of state government come mid-October. Although it is not a broadband related position, I am able to leave knowing that our team here at Governor Holcomb’s office, the Indiana Broadband Office, the Lt. Governor’s office, the General Assembly and the Office of Community & Rural Affairs has worked relentlessly, alongside our private sector and other public sector partners, at extending broadband access to Hoosiers all across this state.
Our Next Level Connections Broadband Grant Program (NLC) has awarded over $260 million, leveraging $306 million in private and local capital for a total of over $560 million invested in broadband infrastructure expansion. These projects will provide access to over 70,000 Hoosiers who desperately need quality and reliable broadband for all aspects of life. I couldn’t be more proud of our team for helping make this happen.
The future looks bright, with hundreds of millions coming from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) and the Digital Equity Act Program (DE), our goal of connecting every Hoosier is within reach. I challenge every one of you reading this to please continue the work of engaging your local leaders, taking part in the upcoming outreach campaign for the BEAD 5 Year Plan, talking to your local service providers, creating a broadband task force and laying the groundwork for expansion in your area.
It has been incredibly rewarding to be a small part of such a monumentally impactful movement in our state and country. I can’t thank my colleagues at OCRA and the IBO enough, for the blood, sweat and tears we have all put into this task. And most importantly to Earnie Holtrey, your support and assistance has been invaluable, and I know the state is in good hands with you!
Jodi Golden
Former State Infrastructure Administrator and Chief Broadband Officer of the Office of Governer Eric Holcomb
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The Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) is very excited to partner with the State of Indiana and other digital equity stakeholders to draft the state’s first-ever digital equity plan. This effort is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This will be a 12-month process that will result in the state’s digital equity plan. |
This process will have many moving pieces.
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A statewide digital equity task force has been established and includes representatives from rural communities, state agencies, workforce development, health, veterans and others. This task force is the backbone of the effort.
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PCRD along with the task force and the state’s GIS office will inventory digital equity assets such as schools, libraries, churches, etc.
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Key informant interviews will be conducted targeting folks from the seven population groups the federal government identified such as veterans, people aged 60 or older, minorities, limited English and more as well as a mail-based survey.
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PCRD will analyze existing public data around digital equity and present findings/reports to the task force.
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All these data sources will then be reviewed by the task force to clearly document barriers and potential goals and objectives to pursue.
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A series of regional listening sessions will take place to validate the barriers identified as well as document solutions.
The plan will be unveiled early fall of 2023.
Late last month, the Indiana Broadband Office announced a Request for Proposal, RFP #23-72042, which allows a consultant to assist with the BEAD State five-year plan. IBO is eagerly planning for the upcoming 5-year plan and is excited for the opportunities that will come from it.
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Broadband Office announced that Miami County is now designated as an official Broadband Ready Community. The Broadband Ready Communities Program was created as a tool to encourage broadband development throughout Indiana.
The Broadband Ready Community certification sends a signal to the telecommunication industry that a community has taken steps to reduce barriers to broadband infrastructure investment.
“Communities across all corners of the state have been prioritizing broadband infrastructure and investment for their communities,” Crouch said. “It’s communities like Miami County who are making a difference in the connectivity space. I want to applaud Miami County leaders who have taken steps to further attract broadband investment.”
The certification was approved by the Indiana Broadband Office following the Miami County Commissioners adoption of a Broadband Ready Community ordinance.
“Receiving the State’s certification as a Broadband Ready Community is an indication of the priority given to the expansion of Broadband throughout Miami County. This certification strengthens our efforts and long-term vision to provide access to affordable broadband to every resident of the County,” said Alan Hunt, Chairman of the Miami County Board of Commissioners. “In addition to Miami County’s certification, the County is currently in the process of developing a Broadband Strategy that will identify priority areas for investment so that critical local revenues can leveraged for the best results in partnership with internet providers. We thank the State of Indiana for this Broadband Ready Certification for our community.”
Earnie Holtrey, Deputy Director of the Indiana Broadband Office extended the office’s accolades to Miami County leadership.
“It’s great to see Miami County lead their community towards reliable and affordable broadband connectivity. When communities prioritize this for their businesses and citizens, many benefit. Congratulations,” said Holtrey.
Via 2020 legislation, the Broadband Ready Community Program was transitioned from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA). IBO began the day-to-day management of the Broadband Ready Community Program on July 1, 2020. For more information, click here.
Find out more information on Broadband Ready communities here.
The Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs (OCRA) recently released the third round of awards under the Indiana Connectivity Program.
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and OCRA announced the Indiana Connectivity Program award of $760,727 to expand broadband access to 197 addresses across 28 Indiana counties. Of the 197 address awards, 188 are to households. The Indiana Connectivity Program’s goal is to connect residents and businesses that lack access to broadband internet service with service providers and assist in the expense of extending broadband to those locations.
This award is the largest of the three awards given this year. Learn more here.
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During the month of October, the Indiana Broadband Office is celebrating Cybersecurity Awareness Month. With the goal to expand broadband access in the state of Indiana, IBO wants to take part by making sure Hoosiers know how they can keep themselves and their electronics safe from cybersecurity threats such as viruses or hacking. Cybersecurity remains a top concern for many agencies, businesses and individuals as our world continues to utilize modern technology for work, school, health and entertainment. It is important that you ensure your devices are protected from security threats.
This year’s theme “See Yourself in Cyber” will focus on people and providing information to help educate the public to ensure all individuals make smart decisions. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Agency (CISA) is raising awareness for cybersecurity by provding help tips and steps people can use to protect themselves against these issues:
- Think before you click, and recognize and report phishing
- Keep your software up to date
- Use strong passwords
- Enable multi-factor authentication
Read more Cybersecurity month here.
On October 5th, the Indiana Broadband Office attended a press conference highlighting an exciting partnership with AT&T within Vanderburgh County. In attendance was Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch; AT&T CEO, John Stankey; Vanderburgh County Commissioner, Cheryl Musgrave and Deputy Director of the Indiana Broadband Office, Earnie Holtrey.
During the press conference, the county announced a $39 million project with AT&T and Vanderburgh County to build out high-speed fiber broadband to more than 20,000 households and businesses throughout the county.
About one-third of the population of unincorporated Vanderburgh County does not currently have access to fixed broadband solutions, according to county records. Reliable and affordable broadband has become more important than ever, with many consumers continuing to work, learn and entertain from home.
 
Warren County of West Central Indiana published a Request for Information (RFI) regarding an approach to designing, constructing, financing, operating and maintaining and/or transferring a development of an extension of broadband services.
This RFI reflects the commitment of Warren County Local Economic Development Organization (LEDO) to ensure high-speed broadband is available to as many local residents and businesses as possible to further economic development through robust broadband connectivity.
Successful respondents will demonstrate a clear and achievable plan to deliver high-speed, reliable and affordable broadband communications services in Warren County.
Additional questions are to be directed to Ben Dispennett at ben@warrenadvantage.onmicrosoft.com.
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to help households struggling to pay for internet service.
The ACP gives a discount of up to $30 per month toward high-speed internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on Native American tribal lands.
A household is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program if the household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or if a member of the household falls within a set of criteria.
Find the criteria and more about the ACP here.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is continuing to update its Fixed Broadband Deployment Map to provide the most up to date information on providers and what is available for your address. Through this map, anyone in the country is able to insert their address and see what providers offer connections in that designated area. To learn all about the map and the information in it, the FCC offers multiple resources to help you understand data collection, consumer information and the overall challenges. To learn more, click the links below.
The FCC will publish the initial updated version of the map in November 2022.
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IBO wants to celebrate Hoosier communities' Broadband Ready Community Anniversaries! Reach out to IBO at INbroadband@lg.in.gov to begin planning an anniversary celebration with IBO.
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We want to hear from you and ensure that Hoosiers stay connected through updates, alerts, and news from our office! Please send broadband-related news regarding your community or organization to the Indiana Broadband Office at INbroadband@lg.in.gov, and we'll share on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or in this newsletter! We also encourage you to forward this newsletter or let someone know how they can sign up for monthly updates from IBO.
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